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Interleukin (IL) 1, and its family member, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), are involved in the pathogenesis and inflammation perpetuation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Besides, IL-1 has been linked to an increased risk and greater severity of cardiovascular (CV) disease. We aimed to study if IL-1ra is related to the CV manifestations—including lipid pattern and insulin resistance or subclinical atherosclerosis—that accompanies the disease in a large series of patients with RA. Cross-sectional study that encompassed 430 patients with RA. Serum IL-1ra levels were assessed. A multivariable analysis was performed to analyze the relation of IL-1ra to subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, and to traditional CV factors including a complete lipid molecules profile and insulin resistance or beta cell function indices. Body mass index, abdominal circumference, and the presence of obesity were significantly and positively associated with circulating IL-1ra. Similarly, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and disease activity scores were significantly related to higher IL-1ra serum levels after adjustment for confounders. Neither carotid intima-media thickness nor the presence of carotid plaque were associated with serum levels of IL-1ra. However, after multivariable analysis circulating IL-1ra was independently and positively associated with higher serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoproteins B and C-III. Similarly, IL-1ra was related to higher levels of beta-cell function in the univariable analysis, although, in this case, significance was lost after adjustment. Among patients with RA, IL-1ra is associated with both disease activity and several traditional CV risk factors such as obesity and the presence of higher lipid levels. Our findings suggest that IL-1ra can represent a link between the inflammation and the CV disease risk that are present in patients with RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) have a high disease burden mainly due to the rheumatic disease itself, and also exhibit accelerated atherosclerosis, that leads to a higher incidence of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Accordingly, the identification of biomarkers of CV risk and inflammation in axSpA patients is clinically relevant. In this sense, given the beneficial functions exerted by the adipomyokine irisin in processes related to CV disease and inflammation, our aim was to assess, for the first time, the role of irisin as a genetic and serological biomarker of subclinical atherosclerosis, CV risk and disease severity in axSpA patients. Methods: A large cohort of 725 Spanish patients with axSpA was included. Subclinical atherosclerosis (presence of plaques and abnormal carotid intima-media thickness values) was evaluated by carotid ultrasound. Four irisin polymorphisms (rs16835198 G/ T, rs3480 A/G, rs726344 G/A, and rs1570569 G/T) were genotyped by TaqMan probes. Additionally, serum irisin levels were determined by ELISA. Results: Low irisin levels were linked to the presence of plaques (p=0.002) and atherogenic index values ≥4 (p=0.01). Serum irisin were positively correlated with Cpeptide levels (p<0.001) and negatively correlated with visual analogue scale and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (p<0.05 in all the cases). Moreover, lower irisin levels were observed in patients with sacroiliitis and in those with a negative HLA-B27 status (p<0.001 and p=0.006, respectively), as well as in those treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). Interestingly, the TT genotype and the T allele of rs16835198 were less frequent in axSpA patients with ASDAS >2.1 (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.48 [0.28-0.83] and OR: 0.73 [0.57-0.92], respectively, p=0.01 in both cases). Additionally, the frequency of rs1570569 T allele was higher in these patients (OR: 1.46 [1.08-1.97], p=0.01). Furthermore, the GGGT haplotype was more frequent in patients with ASDAS values >2.1 (OR: 1.73 [1.13-2.66], p=0.01). Conclusions: Our results indicate that low serum irisin levels could be indicators of the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis, high CV risk and more severe disease in axSpA patients. In addition, irisin may also constitute a genetic biomarker of disease activity in axSpA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the main cause of mortality in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). CV risk is enhanced by dysregulation of adipokines. Low omentin levels were associated with metabolic dysfunction and CV disease in conditions different from axSpA. Accordingly, we evaluated the genetic and functional implication of omentin in CV risk and subclinical atherosclerosis in a cohort of 385 axSpA patients. Subclinical atherosclerosis was evaluated by carotid ultrasound. Omentin rs12409609, in linkage disequilibrium with a polymorphism associated with CV risk, was genotyped in 385 patients and 84 controls. Serum omentin levels were also determined. omentin mRNA expression was assessed in a subgroup of individuals. Serum and mRNA omentin levels were lower in axSpA compared to controls. Low serum omentin levels were related to male sex, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and high atherogenic index. rs12409609 minor allele was associated with low omentin mRNA expression in axSpA. No association was observed with subclinical atherosclerosis at the genetic or functional level. In conclusion, in our study low omentin serum levels were associated with CV risk factors in axSpA. Furthermore, rs12409609 minor allele may be downregulating the expression of omentin. These data support a role of omentin as a CV risk biomarker in axSpA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]